Missile handling dolly



Dec. 13, 1960 Filed April 13. 1959 W. YARINA MISSILE HANDLING DOLLY 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILLIAM YARINA (Q @m WWW ATTORNEYS- W. YARINA Dec. 13, 1960 MISSILE HANDLING DOLLY Filed April 15. 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 3% I: li i m '6' E-H--E m m\-1- A mu g 2:, 5 3 c o a g a L I N 3 l m f a on m I") g a" '&-i 2 T1" M 5'3! 7' INVENTOR WILLIAM YARINA BY O ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1960 w. YARINA 2,96 ,335

MISSILE HANDLING DOLLY Filed April 13, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS Un d States atent MISSILE HANDLING DOLLY William Yarina, New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,200

2 Claims. (Cl. 280179) This invention relates to a vehicle and more particularly to a new and improved loading and handling truck.

More specifically the invention contemplates the provision of a missile carrier of minimum dimensions to allow for easy'maneuvering and handling of the missile, such that the missile may be readily moved to and away from a conventional missile launcher, as the case may be, and in which means are provided for releasably locking the missile on the truck or carrier during transportation and for releasing the missile when the missile is in the desired position to be loaded onto the launcher.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and imice members 12 at the rear ends thereof. The truck is further provided with a centrally disposed ground wheel 17 at the forward end and a pair of mutually spaced ground wheels 18 at the rear end thereof, the aforesaid ground wheels being swiveled and adjustably mounted, as shown, to facilitate maneuvering of the truck in a restricted area and for adjusting the truck with respect to a launching structure. It will be noted in Figs. 1 and 2 that a towing element or tongue 19 is pivotally connected to the front wheel supporting structure, as at 21.

A missile locking device generally indicated by the reference character 22 is provided for releasably locking a missile M to the truck as the missile is transported to and from the launcher, as the case may be. The locking device comprises a shaft 23 disposed substantially midway between the platforms 15 and 16 and rotatably supported in a pair of bearings 24 secured to the member 12, respectively. As more clearly shown on Fig. 1, the shaft 23 carries four cranks, one pair of cranks being designated by the numeral 25, and the other pair of cranks being desig I n-ated by the numeral 26. Each of the cranks carries proved loading vehicle suitable for use in connection with A further object of the invention is the provision of a missile handling truc'k wherein the missile may be releasably locked to the truck as the truck is moved to and from the missile launcher, as the case may be.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

- Fig. 1 isa plan view of the truck constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. Zis aview in side elevation of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the locking means in locking engagement with the front U-shaped missile lug;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, illustrating the locking means in locking engagement with the rear T- shaped missile lug;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 1, illustrating the lockingmeans in locking engagement with the front U- shaped missile lug;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1,' illustrating the locking means in locking engagement with the rear T-shaped missile lug;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 ofFig. l; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the numeral 10 generally indicates a wheeled vehicle or truck comprising a frame structure 11 having a pair of mutually spaced longitudinally extending rail members 12 including a reinforced web or grill 13, integrally formed therewith and connected by diagonally disposed reinforcing elements 14. A platform 15 is carried by the members 12 at the forward ends thereof, and a platform 16 similar to the platform 15 is carried by an elongated rod 27, one end of which is pivoted thereto as at 28, the other end thereof being pivoted to a locking member 29, as at 30. The terminal end of each locking member or bar is provided with a missile lug engaging and locking element 31 for engagement with a conventional T-shaped lug L1 carried by the missile, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

A support 32 is secured to each rail 12, as at 33 upon which is arranged a wedge-shaped member 34, Fig. 4, the member 34 having mounted thereon a keeper or retaining member 35, the members 34 and 35 being secured to support 32 in any suitable manner, such for example, as'bolts or the like 36, Figs. 1 and 2. As more clearly shown on Fig. 4 the locking members 29 are disposed in engagement with inclined surfaces 37 on member 34 and slidable through inclined bores 38 formed on member 35 thereby to guide the locking members duringa missile locking operation, so that the elements 31 moves into locking engagement with the aforesaid T-shaped lug L1.

The support 32 has secured thereto, in any suitable manner, a channel member 39 for receiving and supporting the T-shaped lug L1 when the missile is lowered onto the truck. It will be noted, Fig. 6, that the lug L1 is provided with a pair of flanges 41 adapted to be engaged by the locking elements 31 when the missile is transported.

The aforesaid channel member 39 is provided with an inclined guide 42 for guiding the lug L1 into aligned position with respect to the locking members 31 as the missile is lowered onto the truck and with missile supports 43 in engagement with the missile casing for additionally supporting the missile on the truck.

The missile locking device further includes a' pair of elongated rods 44 having one end thereof pivotally connected to cranks 26, as :at 45, the other end thereof being pivotally connected to-mernbers 46, as at 7. Fi s. 1 and 2. The terminal end of each member 46 is provided with a locking element 48 for engagement with a conventional U-shaped lug L2 carried by the missile M when the missile is transported.

A pair of wedge-shaped elements 49 are arranged on the platform 16, each of the elements 49 having mounted thereon a keeper or retaining member 51, the elements 49 and members 51 being secured to the platform in any suitable manner, such for example, as by bolts or the like 52. As more clearly shown on Fig. 3, the members 46 are disposed in engagement with inclined surfaces 53 on elements 49 and are slidable in bores 54 formed in member 51 thereby to guide the members 46 during a missile locking operation, so that the locking elements 48 move into engagement with the aforesaid U-shaped lug L2. It will be noted, Fig. 5, that the U-shaped lug L2 is provided with a pair of inturned flanges 55 adapted to be engaged by the elements 48 during transportation of the missile.

, As more clearly shown on Fig. 1, the terminal ends of the shaft '23 are each provided with an actuating lever 56 for actuating the locking means into locking engagement with the aforesaid lugs L1 and L2.

When the missile is locked to the truck the locking elements 31 on the members 29 are in locking engagement withflanges 41 on the T-shaped lug L1, Fig. 6, and the locking elements 48 on members 46 are in locking engagement with the inturned flanges 55 on the U-shaped lug L2, Fig. 5. The elements 31 are maintained in locking engagement with flanges 41 of the T-shaped lug Llby springs 57, one end of the springs being secured to the rods 27, as at 58, and the other end thereof being secured to support 32, as at 59. The locking elements 48 are maintained in locking engagement with inturned flanges 55 on the U-shaped lug L2 by spring 61, one end of the spring being secured to rods 44, as at 62, the other end thereof being secured to rails 12, as at 63. Thus by the aforesaid locking means the missile is securely locked to the truck for transportation to and from the missile launcher, as the case may be. It will be understood, however, that when the missile is adapted to be moved onto the launcher the aforesaid locking elements 31 and 48 are moved out of locking engagement with their respective flanges 41 and 55, as the actuating levers 56 are moved to a release position. Moreover, by reason of the movement of members 29 and 46 along their respective cam surfaces or inclined surfaces in response to rotation of shaft 23 by levers 56, the locking elements 31 on members 29 are moved into positive locking and gripping engagement with flanges 41 and concurrently therewith the locking elements 48 are moved into positive locking and gripping engagement with flanges 55 and thus the missile is releasably locked to the truck.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates provision of a wheeled vehicle for transporting a missile to and from a missile launcher and of such construction as to allow for easy maneuvering and handling of the missile in a restricted area. The vehicle of the present invention provides new and improved means for releasably locking a missile to the vehicle during transportation and for releasing the missile when the missile is in a position to be loaded onto thelauncher.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

.l. A device for releasably locking a missile to a wheeled truck comprising in combination, a frame structure mounted on the wheeled truck upon which a missile is supported and locked, a U-shaped lug and a T-shaped lug carried by said missile in spaced relationship, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame structure and movable from aninitial position to a final position, means secured to said shaft for moving the shaft from said initial position to the final position, locking devices slidably mounted on said frame structure for cooperation with said T- shaped lug, crank means carried by said shaft and movable thereby, locking lips formed at the terminal ends of said locking devices and movable into locking engagement with said T-shaped lug as said locking devices are slidably moved a predetermined amount, means pivotally connected to said crank means and the locking devices for moving said locking devices said predetermined amount as the shaft is moved from an initial position to a final position, means mounted on the frame structure and having downwardly directed inclined bores for slidably supporting said locking devices so that the lips carried thereby move into locking engagement with the T-shaped lug as the locking devices move said predetermined amount, additional locking devices slidably monted on the frame structure and cooperating with said U- shaped lug, additional crank means carried by said shaft and movable thereby, additional locking lips formed at the terminal ends of said additional locking devices and movable into locking engagement with said U-shaped lug as said additional locking devices are slidably moved a predetermined amount and concurrently with the movement of the first mentioned lips into locking engagement with said T-shaped lug, additional means pivotally connected to said additional crank means and the additional locking devices for moving the additional locking devices said predetermined amount as the shaft is moved from said initial position to said final position, and additional means mounted on the frame structure and having downwardly directed inclined bores for slidably supporting the additional locking devices so that the lips thereon move into locking engagement with said U-shaped lug as the additional locking devices move said predetermined amount.

2. A device for releasably locking a missile to a wheeled truck comprising in combination, a frame mounted on the wheeled truck upon which a missile is supported and locked, a T-shaped and a U-shaped lug carried by said missile, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame and movable from an initial position to a final position, means secured to said shaft for moving the shaft from said initial position to the final position, crank means carried by said shaft and movable therewith, locking bolts slidably mounted on the frame and cooperating with said T-shaped and the U-shaped lugs, locking tongues formed at the terminal ends of the locking bolts and movable into locking engagement with the T-shaped and U-shapedlugs as the locking bolts are slidably moved a predetermined amount, bolt actuating means pivotally connected to said crank means and the locking bolts for moving the bolts said predetermined amount as the shaft is moved from the initial position to the final position, bolt supporting means mounted on the frame and having downwardly directed inclined bores extending therethrough for slidably supporting the locking bolts so that the locking tongues thereon move into locking engagement with the T-shaped and U-shaped lugs as the locking bolts move said predetermined amount, and resilient means connected to the frame and the bolt actuating meansfor maintaining the locking tongues in locking engagement with the T-shaped and U-shaped lugs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,851,235 Henig Sept. 9, 1958 2,898,872 Hastings Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 437,517 Germany Nov. 23, 1926 511,457 Germany Oct. 30, 1930 

